Spirit of ownership or poverty in the Spirit?

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Spirit of ownership or poverty in the Spirit?

Seek for nothing, desiring to enter, for love of Jesus, upon
detachment, emptiness and poverty in everything in this world. You
will never have to do with necessities greater than those to which you
made your heart yield itself: for the poor in spirit are most happy
and joyful in a state of privation, and he who has set his heart on
nothing finds satisfaction everywhere.
The poor in spirit (Mt 5,3) give generously all they have and
their pleasure consists in being thus deprived of everything for God's
sake and out of love to their neighbor... Not only do temporal
goods--the delights and tastes of the sense--hinder and thwart the way
of God, but spiritual delights and consolations also, if sought for or
clung to eagerly, disturb the way of virtue.
--Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591), Carmelite, Doctor of the Church

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September 7th – St. Cloud of Nogent, Abbot
(Also known as Clodoald, Clodulphus)

Died c. 560. Saint Cloud was the grandson of King Clovis and Saint
Clotilde. Upon the king's death in 511, his realm was divided between
his four sons. His second son, Clodomir of Orléans, was killed 13
years later (524) in a battle against his cousin, King Gondomar of
Burgundy (who had already murdered Saint Sigismund), leaving three
sons to share his dominions, the youngest of which was Clodoald or
Cloud. The fatherless boys were thereafter raised in Paris by their
grandmother, Saint Clotilde, who lavished them with care and
affection, while their kingdom was administered by their uncle
Childebert of Paris. When Cloud was eight, Childebert plotted with his
brother Clotaire of Soissons, to seize their land by eliminating the
boys. Through an agent they gave their mother, Clotilde, the choice of
killing her grandsons or forcibly closing them up in a monastery.
Childebert's family so twisted Clotilde's reply that it was made to
appear that she had chosen death.

Clotaire seized and stabbed the eldest, 10-year-old Theobald. In fear
the second child, Gunthaire, fled to his uncle Childebert, whose heart
was so softened by fear and sickened at the brutal murder of his
nephew Theobald that he tried to protect him. But Clotaire disapproved
of such faintheartedness. He dragged Gunthaire from Childebert's arms
and killed him, too. With his two brothers murdered, Cloud escaped to
safety and lived in hiding in Provence. The uncles later suffered the
same fate that they imposed on their nephews. It is said that Cloud
cut off his hair with his own hands to indicate his renunciation of
the world.

When Cloud came of age, he decided that he already knew enough about
the world of the court and politics. Although he had opportunities to
regain his kingdom, he resigned all claim to the Frankish throne by
voluntarily being tonsured as a monk. He then hid himself in a
hermit's cell, where he gained mastery over his passions through
austerity and prayer.

Later he placed himself under the discipline of Saint Severinus, a
hermit living near Paris. With the guidance of this experienced master
the fervent novice made great progress in Christian perfection; but he
was troubled at being so close to Paris and the center of power, where
he was known. So he withdrew to Provence, where he passed several
years, and wrought many miracles. Seeing he gained nothing by the
remoteness of his cell because so many came to him for healing and
counsel, he returned to Paris, where he was received with joy. At the
earnest request of the people he was ordained priest by Bishop
Eusebius of Paris, in 551, and served that church for some time.

Afterwards, he became the abbot-founder of Nogent-sur-Seine near
Versailles, which is now a collegiate church of canons regular called
Saint Cloud. Until his death at age 36, Saint Cloud was generous in
distributing his wealth to churches and the poor, and indefatigable in
teaching the people in the area around Nogent. His relics can still be
found at Saint-Cloud's (Attwater, Benedictines, Encyclopedia,
Husenbeth, Walsh).

In art, Saint Cloud is portrayed as a Benedictine abbot giving his
hood to a poor man as a ray of light emanates from his head. He may
also be shown with royal insignia at his feet or instructing the poor
(Roeder). He is invoked against carbuncles (Roeder).


Saint Quote:
He who goes about to take the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass from the
Church plots no less a calamity than if he tried to snatch the sun
from the universe.
--St. John Fisher

Bible Quote
25 The Lord gave him the blessing of all nations, and confirmed his
covenant upon the head of Jacob. 26 He acknowledged him in his
blessings, and gave him an inheritance, and divided him his portion in
12 tribes. 27 And he preserved for him men of mercy, that found grace
in the eyes of all flesh. [Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 44:25-27] DRV


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Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows
By St. Bridget

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of God, who didst endure a
martyrdom of love and grief, beholding the sufferings and sorrows of
Jesus! Thou didst co-operate in the benefit of my redemption by thy
innumerable afflictions and by offering to the Eternal Father His
only-begotten Son as a holocaust and victim of propitiation for my
sins. I thank thee for the unspeakable love which led thee to deprive
thyself of the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, true God and true Man, to
save me, a sinner. Oh! make use of the unfailing intercession of thy
sorrows with the Father and the Son. that I may steadfastly amend my
life and never again crucify my loving Redeemer by new sins; and that,
persevering till death in His grace, I may obtain eternal life through
the merits of His Cross and Passion. Amen.

Mother of love, of sorrow, and of mercy, pray for us.